'Weird' was a word that had lost pretty much all meaning for Ariadne. And she imagined that she wasn't the only one. So all she could really do was shrug at his first question.

The second, at least, was easier.

"I've been setting up some compost," she said. "I didn't have anything when we first got here, but the orchard didn't seem to need it. I'm just sort of assuming that if I want to plant anything beyond my trees, I'm going to need it."

A pause.

"I know that some farmers use animal waste for that sort of thing. But I'm not much of a farmer. More of a gardener, if that makes sense?"